Data processing devices have been widely used that instruct printing to an image forming device with a designation of a copy count. The data processing device is configured as a personal computer (PC), for example. The image forming device is configured as a printer of MFP, for example. The “MFP” stands for a multi function printer, which is a printer with a facsimile function, a scanner function, a copy function and the like.
When the data processing device instructs printing of a document that the user created by application software, for example, the data processing device generates print data that includes a “print command (control command for instructing the image forming device to execute a print process),” “print instruction image data (drawing contents)” and the like and transmits the print data to the image forming device with setting data, such as “sheet size,” “number of pages,” “copy count,” “file name,” “user name (computer name)” and the like. Below, the print data with the setting data is also explained simply as “print data.”
When the image forming device receives the print data from the data processing device, the image forming device once stores the received print data in a memory part. Then, the image forming device retrieves the print data stored in the memory part, analyzes the retrieved print data, and specifies the copy count and the like. In addition, the image forming device edits and develops (rasterizes) the print data and generates raster data, in which the drawing contents are dot-patterned, by editing and developing (rasterizing) the print data. Then, the image forming device execute a print process based the generated raster data. The term “editing” means a process to convert the drawing contents into an intermediate language. In addition, the term “developing (rasterizing)” means a process for converting the drawing contents that have been converted into the intermediate language, into a dot pattern.
As such an image forming device, there is a device that stores the print data received from the data processing device in the memory part even after the completion of the printing and that performs reprinting based on the print data stored in the memory part when the reprinting of the print data is instructed from the data processing device for a reason, such as the designated copy count being not enough (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H8-30413).
However, as described below, the conventional data processing device and image forming devices have a problem that, if the designated copy count is too large, an extreme burden is added to the user to change the copy count.
For example, there is a case where the user mistakenly instructs the printing to the data processing device with the large copy count. In this case, the user controls the data processing device and cancels the print instruction once. Then, the user changes the print setting and instructs the reprinting.
The conventional data processing device and the conventional image forming device delete the print data when the print instruction is cancelled. Therefore, if the print instruction is cancelled, the user cannot reference the cancelled print data. For instructing the reprinting with different print settings, the user need to determine an appropriate setting for each print setting based on his memory and manually input all of the print settings again. This operation is burdensome and time consuming because the user needs to memorize the past print settings and to perform manual operation.
In addition, before the image forming device accepts a cancellation instruction for the print instruction, the user needs to count the copy count (or copy count) that the image forming device has printed, to determine whether or not there is any insufficient copy count. If there is insufficient copy count, the user needs to specify the insufficient copy count and change the print setting. Because this operation is also performed manually, it is burdensome and time consuming. Therefore, there is a problem with the conventional data processing device and image forming devices that, if the designated copy count is too large, an extreme burden is added to the user to change the copy count.
To solve the above-described problems, the present application has an object to provide a data processing device that eases the user's burden for changing the copy count when the designated copy count is too large and a program to realize the data processing device.
Furthermore, the present application has another object to provide an image forming device that is used in conjunction with the data processing device and that eases the user's burden for changing the copy count when the designated copy count is too large.